14 Delegation: Level 2

If Level 1 delegation saves minutes, Level 2 can save hours of mental bandwidth. On this epsiode we explore Level 2 delegation which shifts from prescribing steps to owning outcomes so you can free your mental bandwidth, stop being the bottleneck, and build a team that solves problems without you.

We walk through a simple, repeatable framework for outcome delegation: define what “done” looks like with clear success standards, outline constraints like budget, tools, policy, and timelines, and set authority so your team knows what they can own versus what needs approval. Then we add a check-in cadence that prevents abdication and keeps momentum high without micromanagement. The payoff is fewer interruptions, stronger independent thinking, and results that scale beyond your personal capacity.

We also unpack common mistakes like delegating outcomes without defining success and show how clarity, coaching, and pre-agreed guardrails stop rework before it starts. You’ll leave with a one-week challenge to pick one responsibility you’re managing too closely and delegate the outcome using this framework.

Ready to trade control of the steps for control of the result? Subscribe, share this episode with a leader who needs it, and tell us: what outcome will you delegate first?

Blinn Bates - BlinnBates.com

Woods & Bates, P.C. - Woodsandbates.com

Right Fit Evaluator: https://blinnbates.com/right-fit-evaluator

Transcript

Why Delegating Results Creates Leverage

Setting Guardrails And Defining “Done”

Authority, Constraints, And Check‑Ins

Real Examples Of Outcome Delegation

Common Mistakes And The Fix

Your Weekly Assignment And What’s Next

SPEAKER_00 0:30

Welcome back. If level one delegation is going to buy back minutes in our day, level two delegation is going to buy back hours of our mental space. Today we're talking about level two delegation, which is delegating the outcome, not just the tasks that we want to assign. Last week we talked about level one delegation, which is task assigning. I'm going to tell you what to do, how to do it, and then I'm going to have you do what I've told you. It's a good starting point, gets us in the habit of doing this, but it still keeps us as the owner of every detail of the task. So we are the ones saying, here's how it needs to be done. And level two delegation is going to get us to the point of delegating the outcome. We're delegating the result, and we're going to allow the person that we're delegating to to determine how to get to that result. So we're not saying do these 10 things to get to this result. We're saying here's the finish line, go get us there. Now, in this level, we're still going to provide boundaries, but we're not going to direct every move. Okay, so level two, we're going to stop delegating the actions. We're going to start delegating more of the ownership. And why this works is that we're creating leverage to not only get work off our plate, but it's reducing the metal bandwidth that we have to exert in order to get the task done because we're giving that ownership to somebody else. When we delegate these types of outcomes, our teams, our employees, they're going to start to think independently, and this is going to help you tremendously get problems solved without you being involved in them. So we're going to get fewer interruptions as a result of this. We're going to stop being the bottleneck in everything that happens in our work life. And we're going to start scaling our capacity because other people are going to be solving the problems for us. So what makes this work? What makes this work is we're going to set some expectations when we're doing the delegation as to the outcome. So we're going to put some guardrails in place. First and foremost, we're going to define what it looks like for this project, this thing that we're delegating to be done. We're going to define what done looks like. What does success look like when you get this task accomplished? And then what's the standard? Maybe I want this without any typos or grammatical errors or something like that. We're going to define those things ahead of time. This is what I want this finished product to look like. We're also going to define any constraints that we might have. Maybe there's budgetary constraints on the project. Maybe there's a timeline on the project. We need to have this submitted on such and such a date. So I want you to have it to me three days before then. What tools they ought to be using, what programs maybe they need to be using, policy boundaries, things like that. This is confidential. Those things we all need to be on the same page with those things so that we know what we're doing and what we can and can't do. Then we're also going to define their authority. So what are the things that they're able to decide without our input? Maybe these are things like non-monetary things. Anything that doesn't cost money, that's on you to decide. You need to get to this outcome. What requires our approval? Maybe if there's money that's going to be spent, we need to approve that, or our accountant needs to approve that, or something along those lines. We're going to define what they can and can't do. And then we're going to set up a check-in. Maybe update me by the end of the week or Thursday by noon or bring me some options and your recommendation on these things if you have questions as you go. Okay, so those are going to be the guardrails that we set up. Now we're not abdicating here. We're not saying here's what you need to do and then disappearing. We're going to delegate and we're going to support along the way. So we do not want to be disappearing on people and then showing back up when this needs to be done. Some of the things that we can delegate at this level would be: we need you to onboard this person this week. We need you to do weekly calendar coordination with people in the office. We need you to complete this monthly reporting for us. We need you to deal with the follow-up system for our leads. We need you to own the logistics of this workshop we're putting on. Those are all things that we can delegate at this level with some boundaries and guidelines around them to get to a result without having to micromanage the steps to get there. Okay, so some common mistakes that I see when this happens is delegating without clarity. Okay, so people fail at this level when they delegate the outcome, but they don't define success. People are unclear where they need to go, so they don't know how to get there. This results in rework, it can result in frustration, and it results in the old I'll just do it myself because it will be easier. The fix to this is clarity, maybe setting up some check-ins and then coaching along the way. What barriers can I help you get through to get this task accomplished? Those are the things that you're going to be able to help with. The person you've delegated with can worry about the details. So this week I want you to pick one thing that you're managing too closely that you could delegate. I want you to delegate that outcome with some of these guardrails we talked about. What does success look like? What are the constraints? What's your authority? Let's set some check-ins and then let them own it. Step back, watch them work. This is a great step in the right direction. Next week, I want to talk about level three delegation. That's where you're going to delegate decision making. And this is true leadership, true leverage here. Excited to see you. Next week, we'll get into that. We're going to this week delegate our outcomes so that we can start to build leverage, get some momentum towards that level three delegation. That's how we're going to maximize your time and elevate your life.